


Let Sleeping Doggetts Lie

by rusty_armour



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Episode Related, Gen, Humor, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-22
Updated: 2009-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-04 23:44:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rusty_armour/pseuds/rusty_armour
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mulder returns to Squamash with Scully when he suspects that Doggett might have conducted his own investigation there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Sleeping Doggetts Lie

**Author's Note:**

> I think this story takes place some time after "Empedocles" as Mulder and Doggett appear to be on speaking terms by the end of the episode.
> 
> Warning: This story contains silliness, secrets, and lots of other things that begin with the letter 's'.
> 
> © 2001

Balancing her briefcase, a bottle of orange juice and a danish, a very pregnant Agent Scully entered the office at 8:43 am. She dumped the assorted items on her desk and lowered herself carefully into her chair.

"Morning, Scully."

"Aaaaah!" Scully dropped her danish and glared at Mulder, who stood by the filing cabinet, smiling.

"How long have you been standing there?" demanded Scully.

Mulder glanced at his watch. "Oh...about 20 minutes. I was just looking through some old cases."

"Taking a trip down memory lane?" asked Scully, twisting the cap off the orange juice.

"No, not exactly," said Mulder, pulling open a drawer. "I was hoping to find a case with some loose ends, something we could follow up on."

"Mulder, _all_ of our cases have loose ends."

Mulder turned back to Scully and smiled again. "I know. Isn't it great?"

Scully shook her head and proceeded to lift her danish again. "Scully?"

"Yes, Mulder?"

"Did you and Doggett actually work on any cases, or did you both sit around this office all day twiddling your thumbs?"

"You read the case reports, didn't you?"

"Yes, I read the reports, but it's been so quiet lately that I'm beginning to wonder if you two made them up."

Scully almost choked on her orange juice. "Neither Doggett nor I have the imagination for that, Mulder!" she gasped. "Besides, in case you hadn't noticed, Doggett has adopted the role of the resident sceptic and, as an ex-sceptic myself - "

"Ex-sceptic?" exclaimed Mulder with a laugh. "Since when?"

"Since you disappeared. Somebody had to believe, and I didn't think it would be Doggett."

Mulder froze when he heard the hurt tone in his partner's voice. "I'm sorry, Scully."

"It wasn't your fault," said Scully quietly.

"Yes, but I know it was hard on you."

Scully shrugged nonchalantly and took a bite from her danish. "I survived."

Mulder opened his mouth but didn't know what he could possibly say in the circumstances. Gosh, Scully, I'm really sorry I was dead for three months and gone for six. Could we just put this behind us and pretend nothing happened?

They had already danced around the issue several times. Mulder wasn't sure if they would ever be able to face it. He knew they certainly wouldn't be discussing it today. He turned his attention back to the filing cabinet.

Scully, relieved that Mulder had dropped the subject, finished her danish. After trying to casually sweep the crumbs off her desk, she pulled out some paperwork.

Almost 40 minutes passed in silence as Scully focused on her work and Mulder rifled through the filing cabinet. Then Scully heard her partner swear softly and looked up in surprise.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Uh...you haven't been playing with my filing system, have you?" said Mulder, trying not to sound nervous.

Scully tilted her head, studying Mulder more closely. "No...but I know that Agent Doggett read through all the old cases when he first - Mulder, what is it?" Mulder had almost dropped the file he was holding.

"Where's Agent Doggett?" asked Mulder.

"He told us yesterday, remember? Kersh is making him attend that seminar."

Mulder stared at Scully blankly. "What seminar?"

"Mulder, do you ever check your email?"

"Where's the seminar, Scully? Here?"

"Yeah, I think so...Mulder, what's going on?"

Mulder had walked over to the phone and was lifting the receiver. "Shh! I'm going to have Doggett paged."

"What? Can't it wait? Why is it so important? Mulder!"

Mulder raised his hand in an attempt to stave off Scully's questions then started speaking into the receiver.

Scully peered at the file beneath Mulder's outstretched palm. The folder was closed. She placed her hands on the arms of her chair and prepared to launch herself out of it. Then Mulder hung up the phone.

Scully sank back into the chair and pretended to have no interest in the file at all. Mulder, on the other hand, seemed to be fixated by it. He opened the folder twice and studied the contents carefully, as if he was checking to see if any of the pages were missing. He had just started pacing the room, file clutched tightly in his hand, when Doggett burst through the door.

"What's happened?" he shouted, running up to Scully's desk. "Oh, God, is it the baby?"

"The baby's fine, Agent Doggett," replied Scully calmly.

"Me too," added Mulder when Doggett turned his wild gaze towards him.

"Then what is it? Why did you have me paged? We were about to start this trust exercise, and I was going to be Agent Friedman's partner."

"Oh, is Agent Friedman that cute blonde with the freckles?" asked Mulder.

"Yeah," said Doggett, somewhat dreamily, "and that smile of hers...It could light up the New York skyline."

"Well, you'd better spit it out, Mulder, before Agent Friedman sets the whole building on fire," muttered Scully sarcastically.

"What...? Oh, right. Doggett, did you...read through these case reports?" asked Mulder, handing the folder to the other agent reluctantly. Doggett looked at Mulder in surprise and began flipping through the pages. Scully saw his eyebrows lift slightly, but his expression did not change in any other way. He handed the folder back to Mulder, who had been watching the other agent's face closely.

"Yeah, I think I did read through these," said Doggett. "It was a few months ago, so my memory's a little hazy...Oh, now I remember. I came across them by accident and skimmed through them in case they provided any clues to your...uh...disappearance."

"And did they?"

Doggett shook his head. "As I said, I barely even glanced at them. I certainly didn't have time to pursue the matter."

"So you didn't investigate?"

"No, I just didn't see any point...Uh, if that's all, I'd better get back to that seminar."

"Have fun."

"Okay." Doggett turned and walked quickly out of the office.

"He was lying," said Scully, once Doggett was out of earshot.

"Gee, Scully, how could you tell? Was it the way his eyes kept shifting away from my face when he was talking?"

"That and the fact that the first thing he ever told me was a lie. I've been studying his behaviour ever since."

"Ha! So you don't trust him!"

"No, I trust him...now. I certainly didn't at first."

"Well, now that he's managed to gain your trust, can you think of any reason why he'd betray it?"

"No...Unless..."

"What?"

"I think he would lie to protect someone," said Scully, her hand moving instinctively to her belly.

"Himself?"

"Maybe."

Mulder sighed and laid the file down on his desk.

"Mulder, what is this about?" demanded Scully. "What aren't you telling me? Besides everything?"

"'Everything' pretty much covers it," admitted Mulder, sitting on the corner of his desk.

"Will you at least give me a hint?" asked Scully. "I mean, I've only been your partner for eight years. It's not as if I've earned your trust. And the fact that you've been keeping something else from me doesn't bother me in the slightest." Scully's gaze was fixed intently on Mulder.

"I didn't conceal it from you deliberately, Scully. Well, no, that's not exactly true. I did conceal it from you, but I had a very good reason."

Scully crossed her arms, her eyes growing cold. "A good reason to lie?"

"The word 'lie' is a pretty harsh - "

"But accurate."

" - but accurate word for it," conceded Mulder. He gazed up at the ceiling for a moment and sighed.

"Last May, I went to Squamash..."

  


* * * * 

  
"I don't believe it. I just don't believe it. You falsified case reports and didn't report the discharge of your weapon? Mulder, if the OPR finds out about this, your proverbial goose will be cooked!" cried Scully.

Mulder looked down, the guilty expression on his face only too apparent. "Yours too, I'm afraid," he stated quietly.

"What? Mulder - "

"You signed the case reports too."

"_I_ signed the case reports?" shouted Scully. "How could I have signed them when I didn't even know about them?" She stood up, with surprising speed for a pregnant woman, and ripped the file from Mulder's hand. Her eyebrows shot up when she read the signatures on the reports.

"How did you get me to sign these?" she asked, her voice a little too soft for Mulder's liking.

"I honestly can't remember."

"I see." Scully closed the file slowly then proceeded to hit Mulder on the head with it. "Of all the stupid, selfish - "

"Scully, it was in a good cause. The soul eater was suffering. I had to end its pain somehow."

"I'm not angry that you killed it," said Scully, lowering the file. "I'm angry that you lied about it, that you didn't think you could tell me!"

Mulder raised his arm in defence as Scully raised the folder again. "I lied to keep you out of trouble, Scully. That way if the OPR or anyone else found out about it, you wouldn't be..."

"As deeply implicated as you?"

"Scully, if there had been any other way - "

"But there wasn't." Scully pressed her head against Mulder's arm and groaned. "How do you manage it, Mulder? How?" When she looked up at his face, Mulder shrugged and smiled. Scully hit him with the folder again. Then she grabbed him by the elbow and led him to the door.

"Where are we going?" asked Mulder.

"To see Skinner."

"Oh. Why would we do that?"

"Because if Doggett did follow up on these reports, and I think he did, he must have told somebody about it," said Scully. "He couldn't have reported what he found to Kersh or the OPR because we would have heard from them by now, so if he didn't report to Kersh or the OPR, he must have told Skinner."

"That sounds...reasonable enough. But if Skinner knows then why hasn't he said anything?"

Scully smiled. "For the same reason Doggett hasn't, I should think."

  


* * * * 

  
Mulder and Scully studied Assistant Director Skinner carefully as he perused the folder they had handed to him. When he looked up, both agents were waiting to see a reaction in the dark eyes behind the glasses.

"Let it rest, Mulder," said Skinner.

"What?"

"For everyone's sake, just leave it alone." Skinner met the scrutinizing eyes across his desk squarely. He didn't even blink.

"Did Doggett show these to you?" asked Scully, who wasn't prepared to surrender just yet.

"If Agent Doggett had come to me with this, I would have given him the same advice I'm about to give you: drop it."

"Just how much do you know about these reports, sir?" demanded Mulder.

"Enough to know that they should be buried. In fact, why don't you do us all a favour and burn them?"

"So he did come to see you," said Mulder with a satisfied smile.

"Whether he came to see me or not doesn't matter. Preserving the reputations of three good agents does."

"Three?" questioned Scully. "But surely only Mulder and I are..."

"Doggett went to Squamash, didn't he?" said Mulder.

Skinner stood and walked away from his desk. Then he was holding open the door. "This discussion is over, Agent Mulder."

"What are you two trying to hide?" asked Mulder as he and Scully rose from their chairs.

"If we were trying to hide something, and I'm not saying that we are, we'd have a very good reason for doing so. And if Agent Doggett had stumbled upon something, he'd know enough to keep it quiet."

"To save our butts?" said Scully.

"Yes, I think that's what he would have done in such a situation, so your concern is unwarranted. There's nothing to worry about."

"Oh, I'm not worried anymore," stated Mulder, walking towards the door. "I'm curious now."

Skinner placed a hand on Mulder's arm before the agent could leave. "Agent Mulder, I order you to drop it. Just put those reports back where you found them and pretend you never saw them. Can you do that?"

"What do you think?" Mulder pulled his arm away and stepped out of Skinner's office. Scully cast a sympathetic look at her superior before she followed her partner.

"Damn," muttered Skinner. Then he walked out of his office as well and over to his secretary.

"I want you to page Agent Doggett."

"But, sir, I thought he was attending that seminar."

"He is. You're going to pull him out of it."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, and when he arrives send him straight into my office."

  


* * * * 

  
"So, what do we do now?" asked Scully when she and Mulder returned to their office again.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to Squamash, Scully."

"Right now?"

"Why not? It's not like I've got anything better to do."

"Then I'm coming too. If Doggett investigated these reports without me, I want to know." Scully walked over to her desk and picked up her note cube.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving a note for Doggett so he knows where we've gone."

Mulder laughed.

"What?" said Scully.

"Did he leave a note for you when he ran off to Squamash?"

"Well, no..."

Mulder took the note cube from her hand and placed it back on the desk. "If he enjoys playing detective so much, let him figure it out for himself."

Scully bit her lip, looking uncomfortable with the idea.

"Look, we'll probably be there and back again before he even gets out of that seminar. I'm just going to ask Sheriff Frey a few questions, maybe stretch my legs a bit. We'll be back in four-five hours, tops. Come on, Scully, what have you got to lose? Do you really want to spend the rest of the day yawning over paperwork?"

"No, not particularly," admitted Scully. "Let me grab my coat."

As Scully walked out of the office with Mulder, she still experienced a pang of guilt and a sense of misgiving. Although Mulder had convinced her that visiting Squamash was a good idea, she couldn't help thinking that whenever she went off somewhere without telling Doggett, something bad always seemed to happen...

  


* * * * 

  
"Sir, this is the second time I've been called away from that seminar," said Doggett, sitting down in the chair Mulder had occupied just a short time ago. "The next time Kersh sees me he's going to blow his top."

"You'll win him over, John," replied Skinner with a tight smile. "You usually do."

"Is this what this is about? My winning personality?"

"No. Mulder and Scully have just been to see me."

"Oh?"

"About those falsified case reports."

"Oh..."

"Apparently, they found out that you read them. They seem to think that you may have even gone to Squamash to investigate."

Doggett stared at Skinner in surprise. "But I told them that I didn't find anything, that I just flipped through the file and then forgot all about it."

"Then you're obviously a worse liar than you thought or they wouldn't have come to see me."

"Hmm..." Doggett shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"Don't feel too bad, Agent Doggett. I was never any good at lying to them either. Even when I got away with it, Mulder usually sniffed out the truth." Skinner sighed and removed his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "What I'd like to know is why he suspected you in the first place."

"I...I guess I didn't return the file to the right place when I had finished with it, sir."

"Well, where did you put the file?"

Doggett gritted his teeth. "According to the falsified reports, Mulder interviewed one man, Saunders, several times, so I filed it under 'S' for 'Saunders'...and 'Squamash,' 'soul eater,' 'secret,' and 'Something Scully shouldn't know about'."

"All right. I get the point, John."

"Well, what else could I have possibly filed it under? Is it my fault Mulder's so paranoid he thinks the alphabet's a conspiracy?" cried Doggett.

Skinner's lips twitched. "Look, Agent Doggett, you've got to understand that - "

"After everything Mulder's been through I should cut him some slack."

"Well, you have to admit that he's had good reason to be a little suspicious."

"Of me? But I'm his partner. He's supposed to trust me or, at least, pretend he does. How many hoops do I have to jump through before he's satisfied?"

"I don't know. Mulder's...complicated."

"Yeah, that's one way to put it." Doggett crossed his arms and studied a stray paperclip on Skinner's desk.

"We're going to have to tell them, John."

Doggett looked up and, after a moment's hesitation, nodded. "Scully's not going to be happy when she finds out I've been keeping this from her," he said as he rose from his chair.

"No, she won't be, Agent Doggett, but as I was the one who advised you not to file a report, she'll have no choice but to blame me."

Doggett's eyes lit up for a second. "You think so?"

Skinner smiled grimly and shook his head. "Not a chance," he stated as they walked out of his office. "Hold my calls," he told his secretary. "I'll be gone...for awhile."

"Yes, sir," she answered, not taking her eyes off her computer monitor. "Oh, sir, where will you be? Sir?"

  


* * * * 

  
The trip down to the basement was silent as both men pondered over exactly what they should say. Doggett tried not to look nervous as he and Skinner stepped into the X-Files office to make their confession.

"They're gone," said Doggett to the empty room.

"Great," replied Skinner.

"They could have just stepped out for a minute."

"And taken their coats with them?"

"Maybe they've got a case," suggested Doggett hopefully.

"Yeah, and I bet it's in Squamash."

"Well, there's one way to find out." Doggett pulled out his cell phone and dialed Mulder's number. Twenty seconds later he was pulling it away from his ear in disgust. "The cellular customer I am trying to reach is not available," he informed Skinner.

"Try Scully."

"Nah. What's the point? If Mulder is 'unavailable,' she'll have turned her phone off too," said Doggett.

Skinner pulled out his own phone and called the motor pool. "Hello, this is Assistant Director Skinner. I've been trying to track down Special Agent Fox Mulder-Yes, I know he's back now. It is great news. What was that? Well, that's why I'm calling. His cell phone hasn't been working and-Oh, you just saw him? And Agent Scully? I see. Thank you."

Doggett studied Skinner with a furrowed brow. The man was smiling and shaking his head.

"Sir?"

"That son of a bitch."

  


* * * * 

  
A wooden "Welcome to Squamash" sign swung into view, and Scully once again questioned her decision to accompany Mulder on this trip. So what if Doggett had come here to investigate those falsified reports? What could Mulder possibly accomplish now by dredging up something both Doggett and Skinner were obviously determined to keep secret?

Of course Mulder would insist on coming to Squamash to check up on Doggett. Mulder wanted the truth and he would do anything to find it.

"What are you smiling at?" asked Mulder, a hint of laughter in his voice.

"You haven't changed, Mulder."

"And you think that's funny?"

"No, not funny. Reassuring."

"Reassuring?"

"Uh huh."

"Oh, so you find it reassuring that I've managed to maintain my boyish good looks and exuberant charm."

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever."

Mulder grinned.

They spent the remaining few minutes of their journey in silence, before Mulder drove the car into the parking lot outside the sheriff's station.

"I should probably warn you about Sheriff Frey, Scully," said Mulder as they walked towards the building. "He may not be happy to see me."

"You mean because you killed his soul eater?"

"Yeah. Uh, if you could avoid bringing up the subject, I'd really appreciate it."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll let you handle everything."

"Why doesn't that make me feel better?" he asked, but Scully was already walking into the sheriff's station.

"Sheriff Frey?" called Mulder.

"Yeah, hold your horses. I'm coming," answered a voice from the small office at the back. The door swung open, revealing the startled face of Sheriff Kurt Frey.

"You...?"

"Hi, Sheriff Frey," said Mulder, holding out his hand.

Frey took a step backwards, eyes wide and jaw slack. "You...you disappeared."

Mulder smiled and held out his arms. "Heeeere's Johnny!"

"Yes, I can see that," said Frey, forcing a smile. "Coffee?"

"No, thanks. Scully?"

"None for me. Thanks."

"Oh, this is my partner, Agent Scully."

Frey looked down at her belly. "Shouldn't you be..."

"I'll be off on maternity leave soon," answered Scully, shaking Frey's hand.

"Well, I'd love to chat with you folks, but I'm really busy at the moment and - "

"We won't take much of your time. As you've heard about my...disappearance, you've already answered one of my questions. An Agent Doggett came here, didn't he?"

Frey spit out a mouthful of coffee and started coughing.

Scully hurried to the cooler and brought him a cup of water. "Sheriff Frey, are you okay?" she asked after he had taken a few sips.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he answered hoarsely. He turned red, watery eyes to Mulder, who was watching him in interest. "What did you say that guy's name was again?"

"Doggett. Special Agent John Doggett."

"Oh, right! Yes, as a matter of fact. He was the one who told me you had disappeared. He came here hoping to find some clue as to your whereabouts."

"And did he?"

"Did he what?"

"Find any clue as to my whereabouts."

"Oh. No, I don't think so. I guess if he had we'll never know, unless he passed the information along before he disappeared." Frey chuckled. "For FBI agents, you guys really do a lousy job of keeping track of each other." He looked at Scully. "You'd better be careful. You might go missing next."

Both Scully and Mulder stared at the sheriff blankly.

"I'm sorry but you lost me about three sentences ago," said Scully.

"Well, you came here to investigate Agent Doggett's disappearance, didn't you?"

"Sheriff Frey, there must be some mistake. Agent Doggett didn't disappear."

Frey laughed weakly. "What?"

"We just left him back in Washington, so unless he's disappeared in the last hour or so - " began Mulder.

"I'm sorry. I...must have been mistaken." Frey turned abruptly, and Mulder and Scully exchanged puzzled glances.

"What made you think he had disappeared, Sheriff Frey?" asked Mulder. "Sheriff Frey?"

Frey turned to face them again. His gun was out of its holster.

"Whoa! We're not looking for trouble!" said Mulder, stepping in front of Scully and raising both palms.

"Well, maybe you should have thought of that before you came here, Agent Mulder," replied Frey, walking towards them, the gun raised.

"Sheriff Frey, I don't know what's going on here," said Scully gently, "but I'm sure we can work it out."

"Shut up!" barked Frey. "Just shut up, both of you!" He waved his gun towards the door, and Mulder and Scully quickly stepped outside.

"We're going to take a little trip to the cemetery," explained Frey, "but we have to pick up someone first."

"Who?" asked Mulder.

"You'll know that soon enough, Agent Mulder. Where's your car?"

Mulder and Scully led Frey to the Stratus they had rented.

"Get in," ordered Frey once they had reached it. "You'll drive, Mulder. Me and your partner will sit in the back."

"Look, Sheriff Frey, Scully really has nothing to do with this. Leave her here and just take me."

"Are you crazy?"

"But she's pregnant!"

Sheriff Frey shook his head sadly. "I wish there was another way. I really do."

Scully turned her head away and said nothing.

"Get in the car," said Frey.

Mulder unlocked his door and stepped into the driver side, while Scully and Frey climbed in the back. Mulder stuck his key in the ignition and looked at Frey in the rear-view mirror. "Home, James?"

"Just drive," snarled Frey.

  


* * * * 

  
"Are we there yet, Papa Smurf? / Not yet, little smurfs. / Are we there yet, Papa Smurf? / Not quite yet, little smurfs. / Are we there yet - ?"

"Shut the hell up!" yelled Sheriff Frey.

"Shut up, Mulder, please," pleaded Scully, laying her head against the car window.

"Okay, but I'm going to need to know where I'm going at some point."

"Make a left here," ordered Frey.

"That was fast," said Mulder. He made a left turn and travelled down a dirt road. Then he suddenly recognized where he was and knew where they were heading. This was the road that led to the soul eater's old refuge, to a cabin that belonged to the woman who had taken care of the soul eater and had tried to protect him from the people of Squamash.

"Why do you want to bother her?" asked Mulder after Frey told him to park outside the cabin.

"Go in and fetch her," said Frey, ignoring Mulder's question. Mulder hesitated a moment, then opened the door. "Don't get any ideas, Mulder. Remember. Your partner's life is in your hands." Mulder cast Scully an apologetic look, and Scully smiled a little. Mulder closed the car door and walked towards the cabin. He had almost reached it when the Squamash woman stepped out onto the porch.

"Why, it's you," she said. "I heard you had disappeared."

Had Doggett talked to the caretaker too? _This is just getting more and more interesting_, thought Mulder.

"Yes, I did disappear, but Agent Doggett helped find me. Maybe you remember him? Sheriff Frey sure does."

"I see," replied the woman.

"He's in my car right now, keeping my partner company. He wants to visit the cemetery and insisted you come along. I'm sorry."

"I knew this might happen, Agent Mulder. You can't hide the truth forever."

"The truth?" asked Mulder, but the woman was heading for the car. She opened the front door and took her seat on the passenger side without a word to Frey or Scully.

When they reached the cemetery, the Sheriff ordered Mulder and the Squamash woman to exit the car first. Then he and Scully stepped out.

"Walk," said Frey, waving the gun.

Mulder sighed and led the group across the cemetery grounds.

"Stop. I think this is the spot," stated Frey when they had passed a worn tombstone with the name "Jack Bull" etched across it. Mulder stared at the ground. He couldn't see any markings or distinguishing features.

"We'll need a shovel," said Frey. He looked at the Squamash woman. "Find us one."

"No."

"No?" exclaimed Frey. He moved towards her before either Mulder or Scully could stop him and pointed the gun in her face. She didn't flinch. He slowly lowered his weapon. "Listen, I know you've been keeping things from me. I've allowed you to get away with it up till now out of respect for your age and your place in this community."

"No, you've kept me alive hoping that I'll be able to lure the soul eater back. I know you've had men watching my cabin, Kurt."

"All right. I won't deny it. But I had no choice in the matter. If it comes within a mile of your place, we'll catch it."

The woman shook her head in disgust. "You never learn."

"Well, what do you expect me to do? Sit back and let you play mother to it? It doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the people of Squamash."

The woman glared at the sheriff. "You didn't listen to a damn word Agent Doggett said that night, did you? The soul eater is a man. He doesn't belong to anyone."

"Oh, is that why he was trying to drive out of town with the soul eater? Out of the goodness of his heart?"

"Wait a minute!" said Mulder, who could no longer stop himself from leaping into the conversation. "The soul eater's dead...isn't he?"

Frey laughed harshly. "Did you really think a couple of bullets could kill that thing?"

"Do you mean to say this soul eater is still alive?" asked Scully increduously. She looked at the Squamash woman for confirmation, but the woman said nothing.

"All right, I'm sick of playing around," said Frey. "Agent Mulder, either find yourself a shovel or you can start digging with your hands."

"I think you'd better do what he says, Mulder," suggested Scully, who wasn't happy about the hostile expression on Sheriff Frey's face or the gun he was still wielding in his hand.

Mulder started to search the cemetery. He returned a few minutes later with a shovel he had found propped up against a tree in the garden.

"What? No X to mark the spot?" joked Mulder as he thrust the shovel into the ground.

"No, but if you dig deep enough, you might find treasure," said Frey sarcastically.

"If you'd give me a hand, we'd find it faster."

"Oh, I'm in no hurry," answered Frey, his finger resting lightly against the gun's trigger.

Mulder returned to his digging.

After half an hour, there was a large pile of dirt but nothing else. Mulder wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Frey was staring at the large hole with a stricken face.

"Just what am I looking for, Sheriff Frey?" asked Mulder.

Frey looked up, startled. "What?"

"If the soul eater isn't dead, then who or what am I supposed to be digging up?" said Mulder.

"I think he's looking for me," called a familiar voice. Everyone whipped around in surprise. Agent Doggett and Assistant Director Skinner were standing about 20 feet behind them. Frey's eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

"Hi, Kurt."

"But you're-you're..." Frey pointed his gun at Doggett then fell back with a scream as he was shot in the shoulder.

  


* * * * 

  
"He shot me!" yelled Frey. "That son of a bitch shot me!"

"Oh, stop hollarin' about it. You're still breathing, aren't you?" said Doggett, who was now standing above Frey.

"I'm bleeding! Someone call an ambulance for Christ's sake!"

Skinner pulled out his phone, and Scully knelt beside Frey to staunch the blood. Mulder just stood there, leaning on his shovel.

"You were dead," hissed Frey. "We buried you."

Scully glanced up at Doggett in surprise, but Doggett's eyes were fixed on Frey.

"Dead? Really? Well, that's funny. I feel okay."

"I know a dead man when I see one! You were dead, dammit!"

"Oh, and I just came back to life, did I? Climbed out of my own grave?"

Frey looked desperately at the Squamash woman. "You were there! You know what happened!"

"Yes, I do. Agent Doggett saved the soul eater. He set him free."

"You're lying! I shot Agent Doggett outside your cabin! You saw the whole thing! I know you did!"

"Sheriff Frey, are you saying that you shot and killed a Federal agent in cold blood and then buried him in an anonymous grave?" said Skinner, who had made his call and was putting his phone away.

"Now I'm sure Kurt would never do a thing like that," replied Doggett with a smile, "especially since we're such good friends and all."

"God, I hate you," groaned Frey.

  


* * * * 

  
"You sure you're okay?" asked Doggett as the ambulance drove away from the cemetery.

"I was dealing with Kurt Frey long before either you or Agent Mulder came along," said the Squamash woman. "I'm fine."

"Can I drive you home?"

"There's really no need."

"I'd feel better if you said yes."

"Oh, in that case you have to agree!" piped up Mulder, appearing beside him. Doggett scowled but said nothing.

The woman smiled. "I don't have much to offer, but I've been told I make a pretty mean chili if anyone's interested."

Scully's stomach rumbled despite her attempts to muffle it with both hands.

"That's one vote for lunch," teased Mulder.

"Ah, what the hell," said Skinner. "The day's practically been blown anyway. Come on, Agent Doggett, we'd better get you inside before someone else sees you."

Scully's eyebrow shot up and she and Mulder exchanged surprised glances. Doggett winked at his partners and escorted the Squamash woman to the car.

  


* * * * 

  
The cabin was a bit small for five people, but their hostess managed to find two extra chairs, while Mulder sat cross-legged on the floor. The Squamash woman tucked a pillow behind Scully's back then went to prepare the meal. Mulder and Scully looked immediately at Skinner and Doggett.

"Okay, spill it," whispered Scully sharply, leaning forward in her chair.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Agent Scully," said Skinner, casting a sideways glance at his co-conspirator.

"Damned if I know," answered Doggett.

"What the hell happened up here?" demanded Scully. "What did Sheriff Frey mean when he said you were dead?"

Doggett shrugged. "Overactive imagination?"

"Maybe they put something in the water," suggested Skinner.

"Look, you've had your fun. Now it's time for the truth," stated Mulder firmly.

Doggett laughed. "The truth? That's rich coming from you!"

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, I don't know. How about those falsified case reports or your failure to report the discharge of your weapon?"

"Well, yes, there's that," admitted Mulder.

"I'd say that pretty much covers it," said Skinner.

"He also tricked me into signing those reports," added Scully.

"Hey!" cried Mulder. "Just whose side are you on?"

"I was under the impression that you were all on the same side, Agent Mulder," said the Squamash woman, entering their circle. "Tea?" she asked, holding up an old chipped teapot.

"That would be lovely. Thank you," answered Scully. Mulder, Skinner and Doggett also agreed that tea would be "lovely". The woman nodded and stepped outside to fetch some water. When she returned, she found her guests sitting in uncomfortable silence.

"I don't know why you're trying to hide the truth," she said to Doggett. "You should embrace it not fear it. Something wonderful happened that night. You were given a precious gift."

"I know that. It's just that I...I...Oh, Christ." Doggett put his head in his hands.

"What happened?" asked Mulder gently. He looked like a kid in school as he gazed up at Doggett from his position on the floor.

"One man died to protect another and was then brought back to life," explained the woman.

Squamash, Several Months Ago

  
She stood on the porch, arms crossed, looking straight ahead. She found the dark stillness of the night both comforting and disturbing. It seemed to breed evil and corruptness, but also hide such creatures from the light. It brought peace but also shattered it.

She had known that the inhabitants of Squamash were sometimes suspicious, afraid and biased, but she had never believed they were capable of murdering a man, a Federal agent no less, in cold blood.

She kept playing the scene in her mind, watching Agent Doggett freeze, then fall, as the shot fired from the rifle. She had seen the horrified expression on his face as he died.

She turned and hurried quickly inside the cabin, tears suddenly streaming down her cheeks. She sat down in a chair, her sobs filling the cabin. She wept for Agent Doggett, whose life had been snatched away so abruptly. She wept for the soul eater who had failed to escape from Squamash and would never find peace.

She was so absorbed in her grief that she didn't notice him until he was standing right in front of her.

"You shouldn't be here. You know they'll come looking for you."

The soul eater gazed at her curiously and reached out to touch a wet cheek.

"I'm all right. You should be worrying about yourself right now," said the woman, looking straight into the deep, sorrowful eyes. He held her gaze for an instant then beckoned to her, edging back towards the trapdoor.

"What is it?" she asked, rising from the chair. She opened the trapdoor and allowed the soul eater to lead her down into the cavern. Had he been summoned again to heal another Squamash inhabitant?

"Oh, my God." Her hand flew to her mouth as she stared at the very dirty, bloody man who lay on the ground like a broken doll. The soul eater had dug up the late Agent Doggett.

"No. Oh, no. You can't heal him. He's dead."

The soul eater moaned in protest and beckoned her closer to the body. She didn't move.

"You can't bring him back. It won't work. You have to understand. You can't save him now."

The soul eater knelt beside the body and struggled to pull Doggett's jacket off.

"All right. I'll help you." She crouched down beside him and started to unbutton Doggett's shirt. As she freed the arms from the sleeves, she couldn't help but notice that Doggett's limbs were starting to grow stiff.

When she had finished undressing Doggett, she stood and watched as the soul eater moved closer to the body. She turned away quickly, not out of disgust but because she knew she couldn't bear to see him fail. However, as the minutes stretched by, she found she could no longer stand the suspense. She looked around cautiously.

The soul eater's head was bowed, and she couldn't tell if it was because he was exhausted or dejected. She knelt beside him again, trying to read his expression. Then her eyes wandered to the body. Except for some caked blood, all traces of the gunshot wound were gone. She reached out tentatively and placed her hand over Doggett's heart. It was beating.

She gave a delighted gasp of surprise, which quickly turned into a cry of dismay. The soul eater had begun to crawl away, dragging its body slowly across the ground. She rushed to his side as his strength failed him completely. She rolled him onto his back, hoping to make him more comfortable.

He gazed at her silently then, to her utter amazement, favoured her with a weak smile. She returned the smile, tears flowing down her cheeks. Suddenly the soul eater moaned, his eyes growing wide. She grasped his hand and stroked his forehead gently. The pain dissipated and his eyes focused on her again. Then he sighed deeply, closed his eyes and was gone.

She knelt beside the soul eater for some time, holding his hand. She eventually heard Agent Doggett stir behind her as he revived.

"All these years, we didn't know what it could do," she said softly as Doggett crouched down next to her. She looked at him. "It took your death. You freed it."

  


* * * * 

  
Doggett followed the woman up the cavern stairs and through the trapdoor. He blinked as a flashlight beam hit him in the face. The beam veered away and Doggett found himself face to face with a startled A.D. Skinner.

"My God, what happened?" exclaimed Skinner, staring at the naked, slime-covered agent. Outside the warm womb-like cavern, Doggett suddenly felt vulnerable and self-conscious. He shivered. He didn't remember the cabin being this chilly before he had been shot...

He started as something brushed against his shoulder. Skinner was wrapping his jacket around him.

"John, I think you'd better sit down."

"Okay." Doggett allowed Skinner and the woman to lead him to a chair. He found himself falling into it rather than sitting down.

"Can you tell me what happened?" asked Skinner.

"Yeah, sure." Doggett stared into space for about a minute before he started to laugh hysterically. "I-I was regurgitated!" he cried.

"He's in shock," said Skinner to the woman.

"Probably," she agreed. She poured something into a glass and shoved it into Doggett's slippery hand. "Drink it," she ordered.

Doggett swung back the glass then started to cough. "What the hell was that?" he gasped as Skinner thumped him on the back.

"You should have sipped it," the woman replied.

"Now you tell me."

The woman smiled and took the empty glass from Doggett.

"Shouldn't we get him to a doctor?" asked Skinner, who didn't like the look of Doggett at all.

"There's nothing any doctor can do for him that the soul eater hasn't already taken care of. He just needs to be cleaned up a bit." The woman disappeared for a moment, returning with a cloth and basin. Before Doggett could protest, she started to run the cloth over his forehead. He scrunched up his face, and Skinner couldn't help being reminded of a kitten he once saw having its face washed by its mother.

"Agent Doggett, how the hell did you get in this state?"

"You tell him," said Doggett wearily to the woman. "I was pretty much out of it for most of the time."

The woman dipped the cloth into the basin again and, as she scrubbed the slime from Doggett's hair, she explained to Skinner what had happened. Skinner listened increduously, just managing to suspend his disbelief. When the narrative was over, he looked at Doggett. Doggett was hunched forward in his chair, his chin almost on his chest.

"He's asleep."

"It happens," replied the woman calmly.

"Can you keep an eye on him?" asked Skinner quietly. "I'm going to bury the soul eater and then, after that, we need to talk."

  


* * * * 

  
Squamash, the Present

  
"So we decided to let everyone believe that Agent Doggett was dead and the soul eater was hiding somewhere in Squamash," said the woman. She looked at Skinner. "Does that cover everything?"

"I think so. Doggett?"

"Yeah, I'd say that covers it," said Doggett.

The woman nodded and went to check on the meal. Doggett took a sip of his herbal tea and tried not to grimace. He had been silent throughout the narrative, neither corroborating nor denying the woman's story. He had noticed Mulder and Scully stealing glances at him and had tried to ignore them. And, now, they were staring at him again...

"WHAT?"

"You died, Doggett," stated Scully. "You _died_."

"Yeah? So?"

"I can't believe it! You died and said nothing about it at all!"

"I wanted to tell you. I tried writing the case report, but I...There wasn't... I couldn't - "

"You couldn't find a way to explain it," said Scully.

Doggett nodded, looking grateful.

Mulder whistled softly. "I never thought I'd say this, but it looks like it's official: you really are a part of the X-Files."

"Yeah?" asked Doggett eagerly.

"No, but you're getting closer."

Doggett sat for a moment in thought, a smile slowly tugging at his lips. "Okay. I can live with that."

"It's nothing personal," explained Mulder. "You just need more experience. Now, if you had become infected with a deadly virus - "

"Psst!" hissed Scully. Mulder glanced at her in surprise. She mouthed the words "He has".

"What? Already?" Then Mulder remembered the report he had read about the Boston Subway contagion. "Oh, yeah."

"Times have changed, Mulder. Doggett has had to grow up a lot faster than we did."

"I guess so. According to you, he was an unimaginative sceptic this morning..."

"Mulder!"

"What are you two talking about?" asked Doggett "Are we supposed to know what they're talking about?"

"Agent Doggett, sometimes I wonder if they even know what they're talking about," said Skinner.

Mulder and Scully opened their mouths to protest when their hostess announced that the chili was ready.

For several minutes, there was very little conversation as the FBI agents swarmed into the kitchen and helped themselves to steaming bowls of delicious chili. In fact, Agent Doggett had almost eaten a full bowl before the thought that had been nagging in his brain saw the light.

"What are we going to do about Sheriff Frey?"

"I don't think we have to worry about Kurt," said the Squamash woman. "I think he'll see it's in his best interest to keep quiet, especially after I tell him the truth about the soul eater."

"Uh...do you think that's wise?"

"If Sheriff Frey tells people the soul eater's dead, not only will he have this whole community in an uproar, he'll be forced to tell people why the soul eater died."

"Because...because he ate my death," said Doggett quietly.

"Because he gave his life to save the man Sheriff Frey killed."

"I don't want to sound cynical, but we're talking about the same people who watched him do it."

"Yes, that's true, Agent Doggett, but they're also the same people who would do anything to keep their soul eater alive and here in Squamash. What do you think they'd do to Frey if they found out the soul eater died as a direct result of his actions?"

  


* * * * 

  
"Do you still have that card I gave you? It should have a number where you can reach me at the FBI."

"I still have it."

"Good. That's good. Oh! Did I remember to write down my cell phone number?"

"Yes, you remembered."

"You can call me any time, day or night, if there's trouble. I know you don't have a phone..."

"I can get to a phone quickly enough if I need to, Agent Doggett."

"I'm glad to hear it. Now, you're sure you're going to be okay, right? I know Sheriff Frey isn't the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, but - "

"She'll be fine, Doggett," said Mulder. "Leave the poor woman alone already."

Doggett glared at him, and Mulder walked out to the porch before he said something he knew he'd regret. It wasn't long before he felt Scully's arm loop through his as she joined him outside.

"Doggett's trying to talk her into installing an alarm system," Scully announced.

"Did either you or Skinner explain to him that it wouldn't do much good without electricity?"

"We thought we'd leave that to you," teased Scully with a grin.

"Oh, no! I've learned my lesson."

"Oh, really?" asked Scully in amusement. "And which lesson is that, Mulder?"

"That sometimes it's better to let sleeping Doggetts lie."


End file.
